March 30, 2012

And the new 2012 Graphic 45 Design Team Is...

Hello Fabulous G45ers,

It's the day you've all been waiting for! It's time to announce the new Graphic 45 Design Team for 2012! We know you've all been waiting anxiously to see who made the list! So lets just get right to it!

We want to thank you all for joining us on this very special day. It's been an amazing process of selecting our brand new Design Team for 2012. From our first DT audition announcement, to the picking of our 30 finalists, reviewing their final project submissions, and narrowing it down to the final list, from start to finish this has been a challenging and immensely enriching experience for all of us here at Graphic 45. Picking our new Design Team was not an easy task. The incredible range of talents, skills, and imagination displayed by all of our finalists was extraordinary. For those of you who made the list, we want to give a warm congratulations and welcome you to the team. For those of you who who did not make the list, we want to give our deepest and most sincere thank you for all of your hard work and your incredible talents. We can't stress enough how difficult it was for us to narrow it down the final list. We are entirely grateful to have such inventive and accomplished artists trying out for our Design Team. Thank you to each and every one of you from all of us here at Graphic 45.

And the new Graphic 45 Design Team members for 2012 (in no particular order) are...

Wow, such excitement! Of course we wanted to also bring you some more incredible cards since this is the last day of our card extravaganza! We've had such a great time bringing you this great week of cards and we hope you've all had a lot of fun too! We've got two incredible card designs by Tara Orr and Gloria Stengel. Tara has created a fun sketch and Gloria has prepared a great tutorial! Both of these gorgeous creations are sure to inspire you for some blissful weekend crafting! Is there a family member or friend that could use a little dose of cheer? Why not surprise them with a beautiful hand-made card! Everyone could use a little random crafts of kindness!

Behold this marvelous Olde Curiosity Shoppe card by Tara Orr. This is a perfect example of a card that's great for any occasion! You can also see how Tara recycled Graphic 45 Staples packaging to give some extra color and depth to this gorgeous card! There's even a fun sketch so you can create one of your very own!

Next we have this gorgeous gate fold gift card holder by Gloria Stengel.This amazing creation also features Olde Curiosity Shoppe! This is an incredible way to turn a simple gift into something heartfelt and whimsical. Here Gloria takes you step-by-step into her creative process with a fun tutorial! Take it away, Gloria!

You all know by now that I love to make gift card holders. A gate fold card with an inside pocket makes a quick and easy gift card holder. Creating a simple band to hold the card closed makes this simple project extra special. When you slide off the band and open the "doors" you see the surprise inside!

2. Using a piece of cardstock 2 x 5 inches, create a pocket for the inside of the card. Add adhesive to the sides and bottom of the pocket. (Note: I covered the inside surface BEFORE adding my pocket.)

5. Cover your band with patterned paper, and glue together. Make sure you don't glue it too tight or it won't slip off your card. You may need to adjust your band size, depending on how thick your finished card becomes.

6. Decorate your band as desired. I added a chipboard bike and a sentiment to my band. It's a simple project, but packs big impact, especially when you slip a gift card inside!

I also decorated the back of my card. It looks more finished that way.

We hope you all enjoyed today's big announcement and gorgeous card creations. Big thanks to Tara Orr and Gloria Stengel for their beautiful work today. For more card inspiration be sure to check out our Pinterest Card Pinboard! There's lots to see and tons of stunning ideas to inspire you!

Comments

Congrats to the new team! High five to my "old" teamies Jane, Nicole, Tara, and Laura! Another high five to my Imaginarium Designs teamie Maiko! And to Jim, TOLD YA TOLD YA TOLD YA! Here is to another great year of crafting! (I am pinching myself!!!)

Congrats to the new Graphic 45 design team. What a win win situation this is, great for Graphic 45, you have a whole world of talent just itching to show off your wonderful products, and super great for all of us on the other side of the computer screen. So much inspiration coming our way the next year!!!

I am so honoured to be designing with the best company in the world for yet another year!! Congrats to all of the new members for this year's team!! Cannot wait to work with you all! Thank you Graphic 45!

Congrats to all of these fabulous designers! You have picked an amazing team again :) I can't wait to see what you all bring us this time - so much inspiration my little brain cannot contain it all! Thanks!

A BIG congratulations to the Graphic 45 2012 design team!!! I'm honored to be amongst this SUPER talented group of artists and I look forward to our creative journey together in the year ahead! Thank you to the Graphic 45 team for this wonderful opportunity! ❤